


Persona 4: Bonds of Reality

by RandoChris



Category: Original Work, Persona 4
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anthropomorphic, Crossover, Multi, OC, Original Character(s), Persona 4 Spoilers, Spoilers, badger - Freeform, tiger - Freeform, wolf - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2018-10-14 13:09:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10537107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandoChris/pseuds/RandoChris
Summary: It's Christmas time in Inaba, and Yu Narukami has come back to spend the holiday season with his friends, Dojima, and Nanako. But when Dojima get called out of the house for assistance, and the Investigation Team plus Nanako prepare to watch a new Christmas special Rise stars in, the lights go out, nowhere close to midnight. Yet the TV cuts to static with a voice saying "…stop them…interfering with…shape…the world…” Everyone gets vacuumed into the TV. But where they end up is not the TV world. They arrive in a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals coexist, and they are able to summon their Personas. What lies in wait for the Investigation Team?





	1. No Time For Rest

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Comment: I'll admit. I'm nervous about posting this. I do want to improve my writing and this story is helping motivate me. It's just combining P4 with furries and I'm not sure how well that'll be received. But who knows? Maybe people will be into it! So if you like what you're reading, thank you.
> 
> Also, this story will contain spoilers for Persona 4 Golden so be forewarned.

“Dammit, what’s taking so long?!”

Yosuke Hanamura flopped onto his futon, staring daggers into the clock that hung on his bedroom wall. The time read 10:14 a.m. but for Yosuke, every minute that passed was complete agony. He had been awake since six in the morning, counting down each minute that passed. 

“Aww, turn your frown upside down, Yosuke! I know Sensei is just dying to get here as soon as he can!”

The would-be picker upper happened to be Teddie, out of his bear suit. Teddie slept longer than Yosuke but his blonde hair was already perfectly styled and he was trying on different winter-friendly outfits to wear to meet “Sensei.” The chill of December could be felt even with the heater going on in Yosuke’s room.

Yosuke himself was still in the sweatpants he wore to bed but had changed into a long-sleeved tee with the emblem of Yasogami High School on the right chest. Yosuke didn’t really dress properly until it was time for him to leave the house for school or hanging out with his friends.

“Do you think Sensei is going to bring anybody along with him? He said he had a surprise for all of us. Ooh! Maybe it’s some of the beauties of the city!” Teddie swooned at the mental images running through his mind of countless girls, each more bustier than the last.

“Dude, I doubt he’s bringing girls along with him. There would be a bloodbath all over Inaba, courtesy of a certain idol,” Yosuke mumbled, feeling his body shiver.

“Aww, but they don’t have to be girls who are into Sensei! Maybe he’s bringing us some hot dates to melt all this snow!”

Would they really? Yosuke rested his head on his arms, memories of failed attempts to pick up girls bombarding him rapidly, ending with the most heartbreaking sound he ever heard in his life. A sound that would never fade…

“My motorcycle…”

Before Yosuke started to openly weep about how, even with the repairs, his scooter was never the same, the muffled chirps of a cell phone came from his pocket. He answered the phone in a low mumble without checking who was calling.

“Hello? Wassup?”

The responding voice was very loud and frenzied, belonging to a certain girl.

“Yosuke, Yu’s train got stopped! There was a snowstorm out where he was and the train can’t go any further!” Chie Satonaka sounded like she was almost out of breath like she had been running.

Yosuke sat up, his body now tense. “What?! Is he okay?”

“He said he’s fine but…but…I can’t stand around doing nothing! I’m meeting everybody at the train station right now to see if-!”

Teddie suddenly elbowed Yosuke’s ribs to butt into the phone call, cutting off Chie.

“Did something happen to Sensei?” Teddie panicked, his voice already breaking.

Chie explained the situation again. Once she was done, Teddie grabbed Yosuke by the arm and hoisted him to his feet.

“Come on, Yosuke! Sensei needs us!” Teddie heroically declared, zipping up the jacket he now put on and ending the call. 

“G-Gimme a sec, you dummy, I need to get dressed!”

 _Damn it! I hope he’s okay!_ Yosuke’s mind was racing with thoughts on anything he could possibly do to help his friend, the one he calls his “partner.” The snow on the road was way too slippery for his scooter so he and Teddie hurried on foot, trying to keep from sliding and falling. It didn’t take too long before the two reached Yasoinaba Station, where most of the gang were waiting.

Everyone were all together, talking to one another in hurried voices. Rise looked visibly worried with Naoto trying to calm her down. Yukiko was trying to summon her  
Persona, even as Chie kept insisting that it wasn’t like the events in May. Kanji was distracted, playing with his black hair until he noticed Yosuke and Teddie approaching.

“Hey! What took you guys so long?!” Kanji said.

“Yosuke was reading his dirty magazines before you called, Chie. I was beary disappointed in him,” Teddie scolded.

“What?! I wasn’t doing anything! I’ve been waiting for Yu all morning!” Yosuke snapped.

“I just want to look good for Sensei! You weren’t dressed, Yosuke!”

“N-No, I didn’t mean YOU, I meant…” Yosuke sighed and grimaced, choosing to stay mum for his own sake.

Naoto muttered under her own breath, “I’m surprised it’s not until now that Senpai’s name caused an exchange like that.”

Rise, still flustered, pouted with her cheeks puffed outward. “I can’t believe that now, of all times, before Christmas, Senpai’s stuck out in the middle of nowhere!”

Yosuke folded his arms and looked at the others. “Have any of you heard again from him since you called me, Chie?”

Chie shook her head, digging her hands into her coat pockets. “All that he said is that the train isn’t going to be back for a while.”

Yosuke closed his eyes and sighed to himself. He wondered if Yu had already contacted Ryotaro Dojima or Nanako. Or if he wasn’t able to… 

“Naoto, you have Dojima-san’s number, right? Have you contacted him?” Yosuke asked.

The detective nodded. “Dojima-san has already been notified of the situation.”

“Yosuke, I’m sure Yu-kun is fine. Just imagine that he’s right behind you,” Yukiko chirped, almost looking unfazed by their leader’s predicament.

Yosuke raised a brow at Yukiko, confused. She sometimes says odd things but Yu’s “right behind him?”

That’s when Yosuke felt a sudden rush of cold.

THUMP!!

A huge snowball hit Yosuke on the back of his head, the snow falling inside his jacket and shirt, making him shake from the water running down his body.

“Wh-Who the hell-?!” Yosuke began, turning on his foot angrily. But Yosuke’s anger didn’t last long. He was greeted by the warm smile of Yu Narukami, holding another snowball in his hand.

“Hey there, Yosuke. You look surprised to see me so early,” Yu joked.

Yosuke glanced at the rest of his friends, who all burst out in laughter, even Teddie. 

“What? Why are you all laughing?” Yosuke said, scratching the back of his head to try and get some of the loose snow out.

“We’ve been trying to get a hold of you all morning, Yosuke-senpai! Did you have your phone turned off?” said Rise.

“Wait, you were calling me? I didn’t get any phone calls! …Wait…”

Yosuke dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Immediately, he noticed what was wrong. He wasn’t holding his orange-colored cell phone, rather, a small white one made for children. 

“Teddie, did you take my phone to play your mobile games again?!” Yosuke seethed, taking his phone back. 

“I can’t manage the crops in Teddieland on my phone, Yosuke! My phone isn’t as fast as yours…” 

Ignoring Teddie, Yosuke turned back to Yu. “So, when did you get here?”

Yu joined everybody else, fixing his bowl-shaped hair. “About two hours ago. There really is a snowstorm going on out in the country so I took an earlier train just to be safe. It was the last one that would go before they began the delay.”

Rise wasted no time wrapping herself around Yu’s arm, rubbing her cheek on his bicep. “And not a moment too soon! The wait was un-BEAR-able!”

The pun only drew a laugh from Teddie and Yukiko while the others groaned quietly, though Yu only smiled for his own sake. 

“I think it’s about time we let a certain someone know Big Bro’s home for the holidays,” Yosuke said, his usual smile returning to his face.

 

The group all headed off to Dojima’s house, catching up with Yu on what he had been doing in the city. The sound of snow crunching underneath their footsteps was the perfect ambience. For Yu, it felt good to be back in Inaba again. As he went through the downtown area with his friends, he noticed there was something different about it this time around. There were more decorations stretching across the street sidewalks, everything shining around the town. The local vendors were still selling their handmade goods, the most popular stand selling scarves, gloves, and knitted hats. Kanji had a huge grin on his face as they walked past…

As everyone approached the Dojima household, there were two figures out front, busy building a snowman. Ryotaro Dojima, now sporting a slightly thick beard, was adding black rocks to form the snowman’s smile while Nanako made sure the stick arms would stay up. Upon a closer look, the snowman’s head was styled to resemble Yu, complete with hardened eyes and bowl-cut.

“Wow, I didn’t know another me was staying here,” Yu chuckled. Nanako’s head turned in an instant, eyes widened in complete joy.

“BIG BRO!” Nanako hurried over and jumped to Yu, hugging him tightly. He petted her hair, still as long as it was the last time he was there. She had even grown a little bit taller too.

Dojima gave a hearty laugh. “It’s about time you got here. She’s been non-stop all day, keeping an eye out for you.” Dojima gave Yu a firm pat on the shoulder. “Everything been all right back in the city? School going fine?”

Yu nodded and added, “Top of my class, as always, Dojima-san. Though I’ve had some intense study sessions just before the break.”

Yosuke grimaced. “Ugh, if it wasn’t for the new laptop, I swear…”

Dojima’s brows furrowed. “’New laptop?’”

“Oh, yeah. Junes has been getting a lot more sales in our electronics, thanks to all of the Hashiba laptops that are out now. I managed to save enough to get a decent model. It’s easier to help Yu study,” Yosuke explained.

Though he looked confused, Dojima added, “Right, because those…instant message chatroom something or other. I haven’t had much use for a computer outside of work.”

Naoto couldn’t help but suppress a laugh, though no one seemed to notice.

“How about you, Nanako? How’s school?” asked Yu.

“It’s been a bit tough but I’m working hard!” Nanako cheerfully pumped her fists. “Dad’s been helping me study all the time!”

Dojima scratched the back of his head, smirking. “Usually after a few cups of coffee.”

Everyone now laughed together and headed inside. Everything was still the same as Yu remembered from before. Hot chocolate was already prepared, with bags of marshmallows on the kitchen table. Yu and Nanako sat next to one another at the kotatsu, with Yu’s friends scattered about the living room, watching television while 

Kanji and Teddie were arguing how many marshmallows are acceptable. 

Naoto was off to the side, talking with Dojima.

“…Yeah, right now he’s just been reading in his cell. He made some kind of personal challenge to read as much books as possible before his trial date,” muttered Dojima.

“As long as it keeps him occupied.” Naoto’s eyes looked downward for a moment.

 

The hours quickly passed into the early moments of night before Dojima received a phone call. There was an emergency at a home at the other side of Inaba, where vandals were throwing rocks at someone’s windows and scattered after the police appeared.

“Now, remember what we discussed, Nanako. Stick close to Yu, okay?” Dojima hurried to get his coat on.

“Mmhmm. Stay with Big Bro!” Nanako gave her father an encouraging smile. Dojima nodded and promptly left.

The TV channel was changed to the premiere of a Christmas themed special, a few minutes away from starting.

“I can’t believe it, my first true acting gig!” Rise was gushing with excitement, kicking her legs.

“So, uh, what the heck is this supposed to be about anyway?” Kanji sipped at his hot chocolate, Rise already looking annoyed at him.

“It’s a beautiful romantic story where a young girl, alone on Christmas, gets to spend it with the man of her dreams! It’s not a hard story to understand!”

Kanji frowned. “I can get THAT. You just never told us because it was supposed to be a big secret. Besides, I prefer stuff like Rudolph.”

Chie looked over at Rise from the other side of the couch. “How much creative input did you have with this movie?”

Rise shrugged. “Not that much as far as the story goes. Why?”

“I’m just preparing myself for ‘Rise Kujikawa Presents: Christmas With Senpai.’” 

“What’s wrong with that? Wouldn’t you try to model the perfect boyfriend after Yu-Senpai?”

The heavy silence that came over the living room just then was something Yu had never experienced before. It was no secret Rise was into him but Chie usually had a comment afterwards. The girls all looked at each other, back to Yu, and then back to each other.

Naoto was the first to speak up, in her usual calm tone. “I think it’s a bit unfair to use Senpai as the highest standard possible to a significant other, as well as that person having to be ‘perfect.’ While we would like a perfect relationship, especially when it comes to romance, that’s just not possible. And…to be honest, perfection leads to stasis within the relationship.”

Yukiko nodded in agreement. “I know what you mean. Every day when I’m with Chie, it either feels like a new adventure or a learning experience. Even if it’s something mundane. Although…” Yukiko rested her chin on her hand, closing her eyes, lost in thought.

Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie looked visibly confused, mostly from the fact that this was a conversation actually happening. Yu’s face was actually a little bit red.

Chie leaned over to Yukiko. “So, wait, are you saying everything about me, good and bad, makes every day fun…?” She said in a hushed whisper.

“Big Bro’s really nice so I can understand why you’d want boys to be like him, Rise-chan,” interjected Nanako, still having her big smile. 

Rise fiddled with a strand of her hair. “It’s other things too but…you are right.” She turned to Yu. “I’m sorry, Senpai. I didn’t mean to embarrass you like this.”

“It’s no problem at all, Rise, really.” Yu waved his hand dismissively, though his expression told a different story. His eyes quickly glanced at Nanako.

Teddie was the first of the guys to finally speak up. “No need to be so modest, Sensei!”

Kanji folded his arms, with a teasing smirk. “Unless you already found a girlfriend and didn’t tell any of us.”

Yosuke shook his head, quickly cutting off Kanji to prevent the topic from stemming off into something undesirable… “Nah, Yu’s not the kind of guy to hide stuff like that.” Though none of the girls didn’t look put off by the idea.

“I really care about Senpai, but I want him to follow his heart,” said Rise.

“Ack!!” Chie suddenly yelled out loud, startling everyone. “THE SPECIAL’S ALREADY STARTED!”

Everyone looked at the TV, which thankfully was only in the opening credits. The special was following Rise’s character around the snowy city streets of Tokyo, admiring the decorations much like Yu did earlier. The golden lights shined in her eyes and everything around her was grand. 

But suddenly, the broadcast went to static. No weather warning or anything indicating a technical error appeared on screen. Yu pressed buttons on the TV remote but no other channels appeared. Out of instinct, he checked the time and it was nowhere close to midnight…

Suddenly, a very faint image started to appear, silhouettes walking around. Crackling voices could be barely made out but none of them said anything coherent.  


“…stop them…interfering with…shape…the world…” said a cold voice.

“Big Bro, this isn’t the special, is it…?” Nanako asked, though she looked like she already knew the answer.  
The lights in the Dojima residence went out, while the glow of the TV screen became brighter. The living room started to shake with a faint wind pushing towards the TV, knocking over the kotatsu.

“E-Everyone! Outside!” Yu yelled, helping Nanako up and hurrying towards the front door. However, the front door suddenly flew away from the pair. Looking around for anything to hold onto, Yu clasped onto the edge of the kitchen sink, Nanako wrapping her arms around his chest. 

“What the hell’s going on?!” Yosuke grabbed the other side of the sink, Chie hanging off his shoulders. Yukiko then jumped onto Chie, while Kanji held onto the fully stocked refrigerator. Naoto and Rise hung off both his biceps and Teddie clutched onto Kanji’s hips, almost making him fall over.

“T-TED, THAT TICKLES!!” Kanji tried not to laugh, keeping his grip on the refrigerator.

The wind started to violently pick up, picking everybody up from off the ground and pulling them towards the television. Something about the wind made it feel like the small TV was going to accommodate everyone if this was heading where Yu believed it was. Everyone still held on with all their might, but the refrigerator door opened, violently jerking Kanji to one side. Desperate, he grabbed Yu’s legs by the ankles.

“S-SORRY, SENPAI!” Kanji bellowed. 

“D-DON’T LET GO, KANJI-KUN!” Naoto yelled.

Right besides Yu, Yosuke yelped. His side of the sink deteriorated away and found himself hurling towards the TV. Chie and Yukiko screamed in fear, digging their fingers into his shoulder blades. Just like a knee-jerk response, Yosuke managed to grab Teddie by the back of his jacket, though the material was too weak to withstand the increasing force of the wind.

With a loud tear, Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko flung towards the television, disappearing into the light. Nanako cried out in fear, while Kanji’s fingers were slipping.

“S-SENPAI, I CAN’T HOLD ON!” Kanji’s fingers brushed against Yu’s feet and now he, Naoto, Teddie, and Rise found themselves pulled into the light.

“Big Bro! I don’t want to die!!” Nanako held on as much as she could. But everything near Yu’s hands had disappeared as well. All he could do now was hold Nanako close to him.

“Whatever happens Nanako…I’ll protect you!!”

Everything around Yu’s eyes was enveloped in light. 

He felt weightless. He could feel Nanako’s face still pressed against his chest.

This was not the sensation of death. It was similar as to when Yu and his friends entered the TV world.

But wherever Yu and Nanako were going, along with the rest of their friends, there was no guessing in what awaited them.

 

Yu was blinded by a very bright light before everything around him turned a vibrant blue. He realized he was once again within the Velvet Room. His heart was at ease as he sat across the inhabitants of the Velvet Room, or at least two of them. The bizarre looking old man with a very long nose known as Igor and his assistant Margaret, whose elegance continued to radiate as strongly as ever, gazed straight at Yu.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter…as I am sure you remember,” said Igor, in the same tone and rhythm as Yu had heard before.

“It is a pleasure to see you once again.” Margaret bowed her head.

“As an esteemed guest, you are always welcome here. It has been quite some time since your last visit. The strength of your bonds were tested heavily, and you were able to display unwavering determination at preserving them. You are most likely wondering what brings you here once again.” Igor maintained his usual smile, with his hands crossed together. 

“Your destiny extends far greater than the boundaries that your world possesses. That also includes the threats that may come upon your world. The wind that whisked you and your comrades away from your world was not of anything you have come to know in your previous quests. A strong power, elsewhere, has become drawn to you. You will soon be entering a new reality that is both closely similar and radically different to what you’re used to. What you do once you arrive is entirely up to you. Your choices from hereon will determine what comes of the multiple planes of existence that you may or may not have thought about.” Margaret finished her explanation with a small chuckle. “It will be interesting, to say the very least. While the new world you will arrive in is not closely tied to the Velvet Room, you will be able to return, if you require assistance.”

Yu, who had not been able to feel any words forming in his throat, could only watch as Igor and Margaret become enveloped in the same light, once again…


	2. A Beastly Encounter

Yu could feel his body fly through the end of the portal that led to this “new world.” He braced his body for wherever he and Nanako stopped. The wind that pushed everyone through the TV had faded, and Yu opened his eyes to see a vague shape ahead of him. Before his eyes could adjust and make it out, he felt his body launched like he was in a cannon. Keeping his arms tight around Nanako, Yu landed on his back with a dull thud. Blades of grass brushed against his head and neck. All Yu could hear at that moment was Nanako’s whimpers.

“B-Big Bro, are we done flying now?” Nanako managed to say.

Before he could answer, Yu then heard the low groans of his friends as they stirred around him. He released Nanako of his protective hug.

“W-Whoever’s hand that is on my ass, please move it,” muttered Kanji, trying to move his limbs.

“Sorry Kanji-kun…” Naoto shook her head, loose grass flying from her hair.

Kanji yelped and hurried to his feet. His cheeks were as red as strawberries as he patted his backside.

Yosuke was already back up, rubbing the back of his head and wincing. “Dammit, what WAS that just now? We…we’re not dead, right?”

Teddie answered Yosuke’s question by pinching his thigh, which earned the Junes mascot a slap on the hand.

“Q-Quit it!” Yosuke snapped.

“Everyone, I don’t think we’re in Inaba right now,” Yukiko groaned.

The fact that the group could see and feel grass was a red flag. But there were also numerous trees around them with a warm breeze rustling the leaves. The sun was starting to set, and it would make for a pleasant moment under other circumstances. Chie quickly asked an important question.

“We’re not in the TV world, are we?” Chie rubbed a bruise on her forehead, looking at the back of Yosuke’s head.

Teddie sniffed at the air. “It definitely doesn’t feel like it…huh! There’s no Shadows around! Not for miles!”

Rise nodded, with a visor over her face. She had summoned her Persona, Kouzeon, and was actively scanning their surroundings. “I do detect other people around…though their energy is different.”

Rise’s friends were eerily quiet, all staring at her with their mouths agape.

“W-What’s wrong? I…” That’s when it struck Rise. “H-How did I summon my Persona?!”

“Teddie just said this isn’t the TV world! So how can we-?!” Chie started to ramble when she noticed Nanako. The young girl’s eyes were wide with amazement.

“Aw crap. Awwwww crap. How…how are we going to explain this?” Yosuke harshly whispered to Yu.

Yu turned his head to his left. “I think we should worry about them first.”

Bewildered, Yosuke looked where Yu’s head was turned and yelled out in surprise.

Sitting in front of the group was a gathering of people, though the trees made it difficult to make out any distinguishable features.

“Hey, uh, Yu-kun? Is this where we came out?” Yukiko pointed to a portable projector set up. It seemed as if the Investigation Team interrupted movie night.

“It…might be.” Yu noticed how chillingly quiet the strangers were. “Maybe we should discuss this somewhere else.”

“Everyone, I found our shoes!” Teddie was holding the shoes everyone took off back at the Dojima residence’s front door in his arms.

“I didn’t even notice we only had socks on our feet…” Yosuke muttered.

Everyone hurried off, trying to put their shoes on. As they left the strangers, Yu could hear faintly, “Wow, those special effects were awesome!”

 

It didn’t take much walking to find out that Yu and the gang were in a public park. The street lights were lighting up, casting a soft glow on their surroundings as they strolled on the stone path.

“On the bright side, this place doesn’t look to be hostile,” Chie commented.

“But who knows how long that’ll last. Did anyone hear what was said on the TV before we were dragged in?” Naoto asked. When everyone nodded (except for Nanako, who was still amazed by the appearance of Rise’s Persona), Naoto continued, “’Stop them…interfering with…shape…the world.’ Were those words a plea for help or something else?”

“I’m surprised you could hear that, Naoto, I couldn’t hear a thing,” Kanji grumbled.

“Actually, I’m with Kanji-kun. I couldn’t hear it either,” Yukiko said.

“It wasn’t Rise-chan’s TV show, right? I didn’t think Christmas specials were that intense,” Kanji quipped.

“What a time to interrupt though,” Rise said, pouting. “Do you think anyone else’s TVs went to static?”

“I don’t know, Rise-chan. It could’ve been especially for us. Though I don’t know if this world operates like in the TV world...” Naoto spoke her last sentence to herself, trying to find any clues.

“Should we try asking someone?” suggested Chie. The number of people around in the park was sparse right now. And who knows who could be roaming the park at this time.

Nanako tapped Yu’s arm. “Big Bro, what did Rise-chan make appear out of nowhere earlier?”

Yu froze in place. Now would probably be the best time to let Nanako know about the Investigation Team’s powers, with no one besides them to be seen at the moment. But it was less about Nanako accepting the existence of Personas and more about her actually understanding what they represented. Yu caught the nervous expressions of his friends. They remembered the story of Yu trying to tell Dojima about the TV world and how well that went. Granted, the timing couldn’t have been worse than it was. Then again, Nanako, as mature as she has gotten, is still a child with an open mind. It’d be insulting her intelligence to assume she couldn’t handle the information.

Yu pursed his lips and thought for a moment, to organize the information in his head. “It’s…called a Persona.”

“Persona? What’s that?”

“It’s a bit tricky to explain, Nanako-chan. The easiest way to try and think about it is that they’re like…guardians. They help protect us from danger and bad people. But they also help shield us from the troubles of everyday life.” Yu placed a hand on Nanako’s shoulder. “It’s like when you tried to hide how sad you were when Dojima-san wasn’t around to be with you. We all have our own Persona. We just couldn’t use them back in Inaba.”

Nanako closed one eye and looked up, trying to piece things together. It seems mentioning her father made it clearer.

“So… you can control your Personas and use them to help people?” Nanako asked.

Yu nodded. “That’s one way of saying it.”

Yosuke clapped Yu on the shoulder, everyone else looking relieved that Nanako was getting the hang of things. “Actually, Yu can use multiple Personas!”

Yu chuckled, expecting Yosuke to egg him on to show off. “We’ll show you later, Nanako. Right now, we should probably be finding out where we are.”

“So, even if we’re not in trouble right now, it’s still an emergency. I think I get it now. Thanks, Big Bro!” Nanako cheerfully chirped.

Yu was about to smile at her but then he felt a rumbling feeling in his stomach that Nanako noticed. “S-Sorry, Nanako-chan.”

With everyone starting to come over with hunger, the group ended up agreeing that they were most likely nowhere near Inaba, let alone Japan OR their world, that the first thing they should do is find a place to stay for the night. No one believed this world would accept yen as currency, however...Nevertheless, everyone continued on the stone path out of the park and the thickness of the trees, where they could hear the sounds of traffic.

The sights, lights, and sounds of a cosmopolitan city were opened up to Yu and the gang. Everyone were intoxicated by the rather breathtaking architecture and the well-kept streets. Okina City was nice but this was like the world’s biggest cities that they’ve seen pictures of in their schoolbooks. Signs were colorfully lit up, beckoning the group to approach their establishments.

But then came the first curiosity when it came to the city.

Walking past was a woman in a red tight dress…who looked like a lioness. At least, she looked like a half-person, half-lioness. But was it a costume? There were no obvious signs of a costume. Soon, more inhabitants were going about their lives, a mix of humans and half-human, half-animal creatures. There were certainly a wide variety of mammals, dressed as any normal person would back in Inaba…

All the new people certainly drew Teddie’s attention…who just now was back in his signature bearsuit, save for a couple of alterations. The circus-like fabric was now replaced with a red jacket, white t-shirt, and red pants. His blue fur was the same as ever but Teddie certainly looked like he was attempting to dress to impress.

“Huh? Hey, Ted, when did you have the time to make that outfit?” Kanji asked, inspecting every stitch of Teddie’s clothes. “WHERE did you get this outfit?”

With a cheeky giggle, Teddie pretended to be unaware. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. This is just what I usually wear!”

Kanji seemed more absorbed in the material Teddie used to even care. “T-This fabric is amazing. Where did you get it from?”

“Junes, of course! The one stop shop for all your household needs!” Teddie assumed a pose as if he was trying to lure people into the department store even though it was nowhere around.

Yosuke bore a sharp glare at Teddie’s new clothes. Yu had a feeling what Yosuke was thinking about.

“Teddie, how much did it take to create that outfit?” Yosuke’s voice had a very chilling tone to it…

Teddie looked like he realized what Yosuke was really wanting to know. The bear twiddled his paws together and tried to act like he didn’t hear Yosuke. “I just thought that if a mascot keeps the same look for too long, people will get bored of it and want something new so I’m getting…ahead…of the game….?”

Yosuke was now dangerously close, almost nose-to-nose with Teddie. “Did it happen to cost 25000 yen for fabric, a sewing machine, and snacks oh so many snacks?”

Even for a bearsuit, the sweat was pouring from Teddie’s face. The air was very tense and thick before Teddie attempted to run away.

“OH NO YOU DON’T! GET BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE SNEAK!” Yosuke hustled after Teddie, who suddenly ran away from the road to avoid the traffic. The two were now chasing each other in a circle.

Out of nowhere, a hulking figure appeared, grabbing Teddie and Yosuke and picking them off the ground by their jackets. Nanako ran behind Yu, and everyone prepared to defend their friends. Yosuke’s rage turned into fear as his limbs flailed around.

“O-OH CRAP, A MONSTER’S GOT ME!!” Yosuke yelled.

“NOOOOOO, I’M TOO SNAZZY TO DIE LIKE THIS!” Teddie cried.

“W-Will you two stop squirming!” The figure grunted as she was trying to calm down Yosuke and Teddie. Upon a closer look from the group, the figure was one of the animal-like citizens of this world and wasn’t attacking the pair. She bore a resemblance to a European badger, thick black lines adorning her eyes, making her brown eyes stand out from her face. But what was really making her stand out was her size. She towered over the group, including Kanji, and she appeared to be physically powerful, having picked up Yosuke and Teddie with ease.

“I’m not going to hurt you, I just don’t want an accident to happen!” The badger continued her attempts to settle down the Junes duo. She nodded towards the busy roads to emphasize her point to everyone. After some heavy breaths from Yosuke and Teddie, the badger set the two back down on the ground. She sighed and placed her hands on her hips.

“You two almost became splattered on the road…” The badger took a moment to fix her short white hair. “…And why were you chasing this poor little kid?” Her description of Teddie almost made Yukiko go into one of her infamous laughing fits.

Teddie, not wanting to lose face in front of the girls, stamped his foot and tried to growl, but it didn’t sound intimidating in the slightest. “I’m no little kid, I’m a young man, blooming with youth and beauty!”

The badger’s mouth went slightly agape and tilted her head at Teddie.

Yu quickly stepped in. “I’m sorry, it was a money issue between the two of them. But thank you for saving them, Miss…?”

The badger then looked even more off put just from Yu asking for her name. “Bailey. Bailey Rosworth. I’m…surprised you don’t know who I am. My face is all over the place nowadays that it’s hard to not be recognized.”

“We’re not exactly from around here, Miss Rosworth. It’s hard to believe but we’re from a different world,” Naoto explained.

“Yeah. We…uh…got sucked into a TV and we ended up in that park over there. We don’t really know where we are,” added Chie. The gang quickly told Bailey their story (at least of the past couple hours.) Their words didn’t really seem to faze Bailey. She casually said, “Ah, yeah, you were in Haleigh Park. Haleigh is the capital city of Aldwynne, the country you’re in now.”

“You…took all of that surprisingly well,” Rise commented.

“I’ve seen my share of weird stuff. That, and if you really did live here, you’d know that this wouldn’t be the place to wear heavy jackets.” She nodded at the winter clothes that the group were still wearing. “Though if you got sucked into a TV, you wouldn’t have been prepared anyway.”

Yu then quickly introduced himself, Nanako, and his friends to Bailey, who was appearing much more friendly than she was moments ago.

“So, Bailey, you said that your face is ‘all over the place nowadays.’ You’re a celebrity?” Rise asked.

Bailey smiled. In a moment of grandeur, she raised her arms and flexed them, showing her muscles. “None can match my hybrid style of professional wrestling! I am the Number One of the Global Wrestling Alliance!” Bailey laughed and stopped posing. “Yeah, I’m a celebrity.”

Teddie was already appearing infatuated with Bailey, though that was just usual Teddie.

“Whoa…how did you get so big?” Nanako had moved in front of Yu to get a better look at the wrestler.

“My mom’s taller than me so I guess I got it from her. She’s pretty world famous in her own right too.” Bailey scratched at her cheek for a moment. “I’m guessing you guys want to know how to get back but don’t have any money to stay somewhere for the night.”

Suddenly, wallets were being opened and yen was counted between everyone. If they were back in Inaba, Yu could’ve covered everybody’s food and hotel rooms for several months with how much yen he had in his wallet…it was enough to make Yosuke almost openly weep.

Bailey peered over at the banknotes and coins, tilting her head slightly. “Funny, these almost look like the money they use in Shen La…” Noticing everyone’s blank expression at what she said, she continued, “There are 6 main continents in my world. Aldwynne, where we are, Cordelia, Zirachi, Helcomb, Barostiano, and Shen La. I’ve been to each continent on wrestling tours so I’ve had to get used to trading whatever money I bring with me. Can I see one of those bills?”

Yu gave Bailey one of his bills. She studied it for a moment, feeling the material and looking at the images and writing. Her brow furrowed, reading the text on the currency.

“Yeah…this almost looks exactly like Shen La money…” Bailey gave the bill back to Yu. “I think to be on the safe side, I’ll help you out…” She frowned and folded her arms. “But to be sure, I want to feel confident about trusting you all.”

Bailey’s eyes sharpened. “Fight me. Prove to me that I can trust you.”

Sounds of confusion came from everyone, Yosuke proclaiming, “W-We just met you! And we don’t have a real reason to fight!”

Bailey snickered and then burst out in laughter. “I-I’m sorry, I just wanted to see if I could actually make you believe that. Besides, I doubt you’re going to pull anything when you have a little kid around.”

To make up for her badly-timed joke, Bailey offered to take the group on a quick shopping trip for new clothes, while she tried to make arrangements for housing in the meantime. Taking the lead, Bailey escorted the group to a shopping mall that was a few blocks away. Inside, it looked like someone packed Okina Station into a building with a lot of room to spare.

With more than enough clothing shops, the group almost split up immediately to head to whatever satisfied their tastes.

“WAIT!!” Bailey yelled, startling everyone with the force of her voice. “We want to stick together. I have money, but I’m not walking around with all of it in my pocket. That, and I don’t want anyone getting lost.”

“It’s okay. We have our cell phones,” said Yosuke. A thought creeped into his mind that numbed his body. “W-We…don’t have our chargers either…” Yosuke pulled his phone out and checked the battery power, when something caught his eye. “Hey guys? Didn’t Rise’s TV special start at 8 pm?”

After confirmation, Yosuke’s hands shook. “Then…why the hell hasn’t it changed from 8:02?”

Bailey frowned. “8:02 pm? It’s 5:15 pm.”

A quick look at everyone else’s phones bore the time of 8:02 pm. There was no signal available nor did the keypads do anything.

“Are your phones bricked or something? Maybe you do need new ones. Or at least hang on to those until you get back home,” Bailey suggested.

Naoto shook her head. “If our phones are not functioning, I doubt we will get a hold of anyone while we’re here. As you said, it’d be better to keep our phones until we return.”

After a lengthy shopping trip that gave the Investigation Team enough clothes to last a week (Teddie had to be stopped from buying the most expensive poofy shirts), the group waited outside of the mall for the people Bailey was talking to earlier.

“Yo! Bailey!” A young male voice called out.

“About time, you guys,” Bailey huffed, having checked the phone’s time.

Three figures approached, a pair of wolves who appeared to be brother and sister and a male tiger, wearing a hat like Naoto’s.

The male wolf, who greeted Bailey, folded his arms. “We would’ve gotten here sooner but SOMEBODY had to finish watching the new episode of-“  
            The tiger also folded his arms, looking away defiantly. “Chris, it was the pinnacle of the Bad Moon Rising storyline.”

Bailey sighed, rubbing at the back of her head. “Everyone. These are, well, some of my friends. Chris Hayabusa, his sister Cassie, and Shojira Hyujimoto.” Everyone exchanged greetings. “It’s not the whole ensemble but you’ll meet everyone eventually.”

Bailey walked towards her friends and faced the Investigation Team. “All right, here’s the plan. Since you can’t pay for a hotel, we’ve decided to let you stay with us for the time being. But none of us have enough room for all of you. If you don’t mind, we could pair you all up and decide who goes where.”

Cassie spoke up, surveying the Investigation Team. “Shojira and I do live with other people but we’ve already worked things out. And came up with cover stories in case they ask where you came from. Big bro lives by himself but I still live with my mom and dad.” (Nanako quietly giggled.)

Shojira rubbed the tip of his right ear. “And my sister and I live in a dojo. So I hope-“

“DOJO?!” Chie hurriedly ran up to Shojira, eyes sparkling with delight. “Do you have a wise legendary master who will only take the best students?!”

“Uhh…sure?” Shojira looked unsure on how to deal with Chie’s energy. In fact, she was shaking with excitement.

Yukiko raised her hand. “I volunteer to go with Chie.”

Chie squealed, “We can turn Yukiko into a deadly warrior of the fan!”

Yosuke muttered, “I think she’s already scary enough without the kung-fu training.”

“With that, 3 more spots remain. Anyone have any preferences?” Bailey asked.

Nanako wrapped her arms around Yu’s left forearm. “I have to stay with Big Bro no matter what.”

Yu smiled but then glanced at his friends that had yet to pair up. Nanako enjoyed being around all of them but he didn’t know who he should pick.

Rise stepped over to Yu and Nanako. “Do you mind if I go with you and Big Bro, Nanako-chan?”

Nanako’s eyes lit up with delight and nodded quickly. Yosuke shrugged and looked at Teddie, knowing full well that the hopeless romantic would have no shot at being alone with Naoto. Plus, Kanji’s face was starting to grow redder as he took sideways looks at Naoto.

“Me and Teddie will go together,” Yosuke said.

Sure enough, Kanji’s cheeks turned a deep red, a fact not lost on Naoto. She let out a small chuckle. “That leaves you and I, Kanji-kun.”

“Y-Yeah…looks like it…” Kanji scratched his cheek, taking a small gulp.

After a few moments of deliberating, it was decided that Yu, Rise, and Nanako would go along with Bailey, Yosuke and Teddie with Chris, and Kanji and Naoto with Cassie. With the whole group giving each other new contact information, they all split up so they could finally get some rest…


	3. Beauties and the Beasts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto and Kanji find themselves heading to the home of Cassie Hayabusa, a young anthropomorphic wolf girl and little sister to Chris. As the pair get used to this new world of humans and humanoid animals, a discovery is made that begins to paint the whole picture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry for the big delay. I wanted to get this completed sooner but procrastination and rewrites. I'm still nervous about posting what I have together here but I hope you enjoy. Constructive critique is appreciated!

Cassie Hayabusa couldn’t understand what her brother Chris got her into. As he explained to her over the phone, paraphrasing Bailey, these strangers came from an alternate reality against their will and needed a place to stay. Cassie has lived a relatively “normal” life thus far, unlike her big brother and his friends. She didn’t go on adventures or meet royalty. She went to classes at the community center to try and get a foot into the world of artistic design. But now she’s with a tall teenager with his blonde hair looking like a combination of “sophisticated” and “punk” fidgeting around in the backseat. And, Cassie wasn’t quite sure if she was, but the teen’s girlfriend had blue hair, was shorter than her and had this air of maturity as she looked outside the car window. Neither of them had seen a living anthropomorphic wolf like her and the boy in the backseat looked like he was blushing too.

 

The atmosphere was awkward. Cassie usually had little to no difficulty talking to new people but the circumstances made her hesitant. Still, if they were gonna be staying with her, albeit temporarily, she should at least be polite.

Cassie, with her ears folded back, forced her voice out of her throat. “Naoto and Kanji, was it?”

The two looked at Cassie, wondering what she was about to say.

“So how long have you two been together?”

Kanji made a strange guttural sound while Naoto found herself short of breath.

“Oh. You’re not dating? S-Sorry,” Cassie stammered.

“I…well, it’s not your fault, Cassie-san,” Naoto softly replied. “We were one of the mixed-gender pairs. It would have been easy to assume we were dating.”

“You two do look like you pair up well. Cute, even,” Cassie said with a smile.

Naoto shifted in her seat to look back at Kanji, who was looking down at his knees, his face red.

Cassie chose not to say much else. There’d be more time to talk. That and she felt a shiver roll down her spine when she realized they haven’t even met her parents yet.

 

* * *

 

It was a short drive to Cassie’s house, located in a small neighborhood. Kanji and Naoto noticed how big the two-story suburban home was compared to a house like the Dojima residence. They followed Cassie inside, carrying their bags of new clothes and removing their shoes at the front door while she called out that she was home. The living room was well-lit, with the sounds of a TV show not too far off from the door. A sweet scent of cookies was faint but potent enough for Naoto and Kanji to notice, along with the scent of freshly cooked meat.

Cassie was immediately greeted by the appearance of her father. A tall wolf with long black and gray hair as well as bulging muscles, he gave Cassie a big hug. She squirmed against his embrace as her body became constricted by his herculean arms.

“D-Dad!” Cassie whined, feeling her cheeks flush.

“Sorry, sorry, hon.” He chuckled and fixed his hair. He was certainly dressed for a relaxing night at home with a simple t-shirt and sweatpants. “So, these are your friends?”

“Y-Yeah! Uh, this is my dad Damien. Dad, they are…” Cassie started.

Naoto bowed in greeting. “Hello, my name is Naoto Shirogane. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Hayabusa-san.”

Kanji quickly followed suit. “I am…Kanji Tatsumi. It’s…nice to meet you.”

Damien, without missing a beat, bowed to both Naoto and Kanji. “Nice to meet you both. You can just call me ‘Damien.’ Or ‘Damien-san’ if you prefer.”

A sound of a pan clanging was heard from the kitchen before a female wolf, presumably Cassie’s mother, came out as well.

“Ah! And this angel right here is my beautiful wife, Suzanne!” Damien grinned and hugged Suzanne close to him, her shoulder against his chest before kissing the top of her head. Suzanne had black hair just like Damien’s, with lighter gray markings on her face and beautiful blue eyes.

“D-Dear…i-it’s very nice to meet the two of you.” Suzanne nodded her head and smiled while trying not to lose her balance.

“Yeah, my dad’s very affectionate,” Cassie whispered.

“You came here at just the right time. Dinner’s ready if you’re both hungry,” Suzanne said.

Naoto and Kanji accepted, and soon they were seated with Damien and Cassie while Suzanne prepared plates.

“Did you get a hold of Jaden today, Cass?” Damien asked.

“Yeah. He’s fine. Enjoying his ‘band getaway,’” Cassie muttered, rolling her eyes. “Oh, Jaden’s the baby in the family…even though I wouldn’t mind if he was more like one,” she added.

“Eh, it’s been a while since all of us have been able to enjoy dinner together. Maybe he’ll come back soon enough for you two to meet him,” Damien said.

Suzanne placed Naoto and Kanji’s dishes on the table first and the smell of meat earlier was not only intensified but enhanced with mashed potatoes and green beans. It was already making Kanji’s mouth water.

“This really looks good, Suzanne-san,” Naoto commented.

After the Hayabusas currently present were served, Naoto and Kanji raised their hands, pressed them together and proclaimed, “ _Itadakimasu._ ”

Damien chuckled to himself before the sounds of silverware clanging against plates started to fill the kitchen.

“So, Kanji, Naoto. How did you meet Cassie?” Suzanne asked.

Kanji stopped cutting his meat. He wasn’t told what the cover story was. Neither was Naoto.

Cassie attempted the save. “Oh, I met them while taking classes at the rec center.”

“Really? What were you learning over there?” Suzanne asked.

Kanji’s brain searched as fast as he could for an answer. Naoto thankfully seemed to have one prepared. “Ah, yes, Kanji-kun and I have been taking dance lessons. I have experience in one style but Kanji-kun wanted to learn ballroom.”

Kanji’s cheeks flushed, due to a mental image of himself and Naoto in the finest formal wear gliding a marble floor. Damien chuckled at Kanji’s expression. “That’s a good guy right there. You don’t have to be fancy at it but you should be able to dance with the woman you love.” He added a wink at Suzanne for good measure.

“O-Oh! We-we’re not…um…d-dating…” Naoto’s composure faltered, now with two individuals assuming her and Kanji were an item. She glanced at Kanji, who was failing to hide his thoughts.

The television was still on in the living room. The nightly news was drowned out by the current conversation. But Naoto took interest in the details of a murder case stumping authorities in the country of Helcomb. Especially after the story mentioned the victims had no visible injuries, external or internal, and the cause of death couldn’t be found.

Suzanne noticed Naoto trying to listen in on the story. “It’s terrible what’s going on over there,” she said, ears folded. “Have you been following the case, Naoto?”  
           

“Oh. No, my apologies. I work as a detective. I normally get called in for cases that trouble the police and what was being shown on the news reminded me of a case I took on.”

“A detective? Is it less action packed then they show on TV?” Damien joked.

Naoto chuckled. “Considering I have not been in ‘shoot outs’ or car chases yet, yes, less action.  But it doesn’t mean I haven’t dealt with my fair share of danger.”

Damien nodded. He checked his watch and let out a yawn. “Ohhhhhh…Suz, I’m gonna have to get ready for work now. Tonight’s gonna be hell at the club.” He stood up, stretched and smiled at Naoto and Kanji before he headed upstairs.

“Dad works in construction also but his schedule is decided by whoever his company is working for. So he takes side jobs as a bouncer for extra money,” Cassie explained.

“I know how well he can bounce,” Suzanne stifled a giggle.

“M-Mom, not in front of my friends!”

           

After thanking Suzanne for their dinner, Kanji and Naoto were led by Cassie upstairs as well, being shown their guest room. However, a refreshing shower was on the minds of Kanji and Naoto. Naoto went to the bathroom first while Cassie invited Kanji into her bedroom.

Cassie’s room was lined with posters of so many things Kanji had no clue about. TV shows? Movies? Video games? But then Kanji took a good look at Cassie’s bed and stifled a sound in his throat. All neatly organized near the pillows were various plush animals, all smiling and bunched together in a colorful display. Cassie giggled and picked one of them up, a blue and white penguin, and hugged it.

“Yeah, still can’t let go of the stuffed toys. Kinda childish, isn’t it?” Cassie said with a smile.

“U-Uh, I don’t think it is…I mean…mm…” Kanji’s face turned red like at the dinner table, scratching the back of his head.

“Do you like them?”

“I-I think they’re pretty cute,” Kanji stammered.

“Aww, thank you. I made them myself. I finished this little guy a few days ago.” Cassie’s smile widened as she flapped the toy penguin’s flippers.

“Does…he have a name?”

“A name? Hm…I didn’t really think about it. Why?”

After a moment of silence, Kanji took a deep breath. “Promise me you won’t laugh?” Cassie tilted her head. Kanji added, “I…like to sew stuffed animals too. I-I love cute shit.”

“Oh, you sew?! That’s so cool!” Cassie almost startled Kanji off-balance with her reaction.

“H-Huh?!”

“Aww, I wish you had a stuffed animal to show me!” Cassie pouted before an idea came upon her. “I know, I can let you use my material if you want.”

“R-Really? You’d let me?” Kanji was still comprehending the fact he was developing a friendship solely from sewing.

Cassie nodded at him. “I can be your sewing partner!”

Kanji’s eyes lit up from the suggestion. “H-HELL YEAH, WE CAN KICK SO MUCH ASS WITH OUR PLUSHIES!”

“YEAH!!” Cassie cheered back.

Cassie took out all of the fabric materials necessary for a simple plush and laid them out on a nearby table. Sitting cross-legged at each end, Cassie and Kanji brainstormed on what they wanted to create.

“Hmm…hey, uh, how about I sew a wolf?” Kanji said.

Cassie grinned, wagging her tail. “I’ll make a little frog.”

“Hey Cassie?”

“Yeah?”

“…Can I feel your fur? It looks really soft and I don’t really get the chance to touch something like fur too often,” Kanji forced out, his cheeks lightly red.

Cassie scooted closer to Kanji, raising her right arm with her forearm underneath his face. “Go ahead.”

Kanji slowly raised his hand like he was about to touch a sacred treasure. Once his fingers made contact, Kanji held back a squeal. Cassie’s fur was on par with being on a bed of feathers.

“Th-This is something I wanna do with my plushies!” Kanji exclaimed, much to Cassie’s amusement.

“Was this what you were all blushy about earlier?”

“Hey, I said I love cute things. Includes animals too. And, well, Teddie doesn’t let me touch his fur.”

“You mean your bear friend?”

Kanji stopped petting Cassie’s forearm and grumbled a bit. “It’s hard to explain but…Teddie isn’t really a bear. That’s a costume he’s wearing.”

“Oh. So, is he human?”

“…Kinda. Ted’s body WAS the costume. But then he grew a body somehow. I don’t really get it.”

“Basically, he’s a mysterious being?”

“I guess you can put it that way, yeah. He doesn’t want me or Yosuke-senpai touching him. He’d much rather have the girls do it. So don’t be surprised if he starts hitting on you or your girl friends.”

“I don’t need to worry. I doubt he’d be able to get through my dad,” Cassie said with a snicker.

“Yeah, your dad’s friggin’ huge…”

Cassie laughed, rubbing her cheek. “Dad’s a big softie. Work gave him a lot of his muscles, but he’s a sweetheart.”

 “The shower is free now, Kanji-kun.”

Kanji turned his head to Naoto, in a gray t-shirt and blue plaid pajama pants. Kanji’s cheeks turned rosy and a low groan rumbled in his throat.

“Kanji-kun?” Naoto tilted her head.

“O-Oh, uh, yeah. Th-Thanks, Naoto.” Kanji put his work in progress on the table and left Cassie’s room.

Naoto looked around the bedroom, smiling. “Mind if I come in, Cassie-san?”

“I don’t mind,” the young wolf replied, returning her smile.

Naoto took a seat and looked at the table briefly before looking up at Cassie.

“Thank you for you and your family’s hospitality,” Naoto said.

“Oh, it’s no big deal. We’re used to helping out.”

Naoto closed her eyes in thought for a moment. “Do you mind me asking any questions about your world? I want to inform my friends so we don’t make a mistake that will get ourselves in trouble.”

“Sure, Naoto…san. Sorry, not used to honorifics. I’ll try my best.”

Naoto took a short breath. “It appears both human and anthropomorphic animals co-exist with one another. But are there any laws or unwritten rules of society about relationships?”

“If you mean if there’s segregation, no. We get along just fine. We call ourselves ‘Terrans’ because of our planet’s name. So if you didn’t know my name, it’d be acceptable to call me a ‘wolf Terran.’ And I could call you a ‘human Terran.’”

Naoto nodded, making mental notes. “Has there been any global issues occurring that has been reported on the news?”

Cassie shook her head. “Everything has been pretty peaceful lately. Not perfect, but still peaceful. And nothing on TV about some speech about the world.”

 _So Bailey already filled them in,_ Naoto thought. “…stop them…interfering with…shape…the world…” _Then what was it that appeared on the television?_

An idea came to Naoto. Her eyes darted around the bedroom and found a decently sized television on a stand. It wasn’t big but it didn’t need to be.

“Cassie-san, can I examine your television?”

Cassie nodded though she looked confused.

Naoto stood up and walked to the television. She raised her hand and slowly moved it towards the TV. Her fingers slowly sunk inside, much to her surprise. Cassie’s eyes widened.

“AHH!! N-Naoto, what are you doing to my TV?!” She stammered.

“I-I apologize, Cassie-san, but I needed to confirm a suspicion I had.”

“How did your hand go inside?!” Cassie was trying to make heads and tails of the situation.

“I’ll explain later but Kanji-kun can also do this as well as my friends. Confirming this has made some things clear.”

“I-If you say so…what you did was freaky.”

“I’m very sorry. Bailey-san said she was used to the peculiar so I thought you were as well.”

“N-No, I don’t really get to see otherworldly stuff too often. I’m usually doing my own thing, haha…” Cassie faintly said. She rubbed her head, breathing slowly.

The loud slam of Cassie’s bedroom door opening and hitting the wall bumper startled both Cassie and Naoto. It was Kanji, still dripping wet from his shower and his pajamas slightly soaked as a result.

“I-I heard a yell! Did something happen?!” Kanji bellowed.

“Quiet down, Kanji-kun!” Naoto hissed. Neither of Cassie’s parents had appeared yet. Naoto took the chance to yank Kanji by the arm into the bedroom and close the door behind him.

“Wh-Whoa!! What’s gotten into ya, Naoto?!”

“You’re the one screaming at the top of your lungs!” Naoto took a deep breath. “I want you to be quiet when I show you this.” Naoto demonstrated her hand entering Cassie’s TV. Kanji’s eyes bulged from his head.

“Holy crap…they have a TV world here too? Or is it our TV world?” Kanji muttered.

“I don’t know. We have to investigate this, but we are ill-prepared. All of our equipment is back home and I do not have the faintest idea where we could procure some temporary replacements,” Naoto said.

Cassie raised her hand. “Uh, excuse me? What is this TV world you’re talking about?”

Naoto and Kanji shared a look. Although it was more along the lines of Kanji hoping Naoto would be the one having to explain it.

With an eye roll, Naoto sat back at the table.

“The TV world is a place that Kanji-kun, myself, and our friends were able to enter back in our world. There was a murder mystery in our town which was connected to a rumor. The rumor was if you looked at your TV at midnight and it’s raining outside, you would see your soul mate on something called the Midnight Channel. However, what it turned out to be was something very grim. Kanji-kun and I both appeared on it. I…would rather not get into details on those memories. But people were being thrown into the TV world and we had to go inside to save them. And it turned out that the TV world was actually the realm of human consciousness.”

“…This is definitely too crazy to not make up,” Cassie randomly said.

Before Naoto could go further, a knock came at Cassie’s door before opening to reveal Damien, one eyebrow raised up. He was now wearing a black t-shirt and slacks, ready to go out.

“I heard yelling up here earlier. Is everything okay?”

“Oh, there was a big spider crawling on my leg! And Kanji saved me!” The awkward silence that followed made Cassie jump towards Kanji and wrap her arms around him in a hug. “M-My hero!”

Naoto’s mouth was agape in a frown and she squinted at Cassie.

Damien glanced from Naoto to Cassie and shrugged. “Well, if they’re done fighting spiders, Kanji and Naoto are welcome to join your mother in the living room if they want.”

Naoto, not missing a step, nodded. “I think I won’t be going to sleep for a few more hours, so I think I’ll accept. Thank you, Hayabusa-san.”

Kanji tilted his head and just went along with Naoto. “S-Sure, I’ll come too.”

“I think I’m gonna go to bed early tonight…see ya tomorrow.” Cassie weakly waved at the pair good night.

Naoto and Kanji headed back downstairs where they found Suzanne relaxed on the couch, who was already comfortable in a blanket and her pajamas. The television was showing the tail end of the evening news, though there was no information that would be of any use. The next program was a primetime drama about a female bounty hunter traversing space and beyond, hunting down monsters.

“Oh, hey. Glad you decided to join. Come, have a seat, blanket’s big enough for whoever wants it,” Suzanne said, smiling.

“Er, Mr. Hayabusa is not joining us?” Naoto asked.

“He’s working his bouncer job tonight so it’s just me right now,” Suzanne explained. She fixed her bangs and looked at both Naoto and Kanji. “I wanted to talk to the both of you.”

Suzanne waved her hands after noticing that she was starting to make them uncomfortable. “Oh! You’re not in trouble! I wanted to be clear on some things!”

“Clear on what, exactly?” Naoto said.

“Um…well, Cassie told me the truth. Or as much as she knew. That you’re from some other world or universe.”

“She didn’t tell her father?” Naoto tilted her head.

“He’s a good man, but he can be very protective if he feels like his family is at risk.”

Kanji rubbed the side of his neck. “Yeah, we know a guy that sounds a lot like him…”

Suzanne patted the couch cushion and smiled welcomingly at Naoto and Kanji. Though hesitant, they joined her with Kanji sitting closest to the motherly wolf.

“If you’re not comfortable talking about it now, it can wait for another time. I do trust the both of you, I can tell you’re not bad kids,” Suzanne assured. “It’s just silly to try and hide the truth if you’re not here for a bad reason, though.”

“That’s true. We didn’t know what passed off for ‘normal’ in this world. Humans are in control of our world and any other anthropomorphic species don’t exist so the fact we’re talking to you is new for us,” said Naoto.

“I see. I hope I don’t look too threatening to you. Grrrr!” Suzanne playfully revealed her fangs and giggled.

“N-Nah, you’re cute and cuddly, m-miss,” Kanji stuttered.

Suzanne giggled. “So, how long have you two known each other?”

Naoto gave a summary of her time from arriving in Inaba and meeting the Investigation Team up until their arrival, leaving out details related to the murder mystery that rocked the small town.

“I don’t know why you kids had to make things so tough. I would’ve have let you all stay here if you really needed shelter,” Suzanne said, with a teasing smile.

“We didn’t want to take advantage of your hospitality, Suzanne-san. Plus, we weren’t sure what to make of our situation so I guess you could say we were gathering information,” Naoto replied.

“The news hasn’t been speaking of any weird things going on. But if there were, we would have been told directly by the royal family.”

“Whoa, royal family? Like…a king and queen?” Kanji asked.

“Ah. Yes, our family knows the king and queen. Chris is friends with their daughter. They share a lot of things with each other and she has been helping him with…” Suzanne cut herself off. “Actually, I should leave that be for now. Chris should tell you himself later. He knows more about it than I do.”

Suzanne could see that Naoto and Kanji didn’t know what to say next. “I have some leftover cookies from earlier if you two would like any,” she offered.

“S-Sure! I-I love cookies!” Kanji said.

The motherly wolf laughed and got up from the couch. As Suzanne headed to the kitchen, Naoto looked at Kanji.

“M-Ma told me never to reject an offer of food from a woman. Because s-she worked hard on it, ya know?” Kanji stammered out, loud enough for Suzanne to hear.

“Your mother sounds like a very kind person, Kanji. She’s certainly raised a polite boy, too,” Suzanne said, a soft warmness in her voice.

Kanji turned his head away, trying to hide his red cheeks.

It took a moment for Naoto to realize Kanji’s fondness for animals would likely extend to not only toys, but Cassie, Suzanne, and maybe beyond those two. Naoto chuckled, unable to resist the temptation to tease Kanji a bit.

“Kanji-kun does enjoy hugs and soft fur,” she revealed nonchalantly.

“Does he?” Suzanne grinned. She returned with two glasses of milk and two plates of cookies, placing them on the coffee table in front of them.

“H-Hey, what are you trying-?!” Kanji began to exclaim, but it was too late.

Suzanne wrapped her arms around Kanji, pressing her cheek on the top of his head.

Kanji’s face turned a deep red and shivered from the soft fur brushing against his skin. If Cassie’s fur was like feathers, Suzanne’s was like a fluffy cloud that he could fly through in the sky. It took everything within Kanji’s being to avoid passing out in pure joy and embarrassment.

           

After some time spent watching TV, enjoying sweets, learning more about the culture as it was, Kanji and Naoto thanked Suzanne and headed to the guest bedroom, where they realized something.

“T-There’s only one bed, Naoto.”

“I’m aware, Kanji-kun.”

The spacious, neatly made bed with its plush mattress called to them. Sleep was closing in.

“Y-You don’t mind sleeping together…?” Kanji gulped.

“I can’t expect you to sleep on the floor. You’ll be uncomfortable on hardwood. And there’s not enough room,” Naoto said, her cheeks starting to heat up.

“I-I’m a man! I can handle sharing a bed with a girl!!” Kanji stomped to the bed, pulled the covers off and laid perfectly straight, his face showing his resolve.

“…You’re going to sleep like that?”

“I can do it! It’s just for one night!” Kanji’s voice shook, betraying his brave face.

“If you say so…” Naoto slowly got into bed, not pulling the covers over herself or Kanji. “Good night, Kanji-kun.”

“G-Good night…Naoto…”

There was a moment of silence.

“Naoto?”

“Yes, Kanji-kun?”

“Th-Thank you for getting Mrs. Hayabusa to hug me. It felt nice.”

Kanji could have sworn hearing Naoto chuckle to herself before responding, “You’re welcome, Kanji-kun.”


	4. Preview Of The Trials Ahead?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it's been a long while since my last chapter update. TL;DR Life and work and other projects have been taking up my time. Sorry about that, and for this chapter being short (as what I'm intending to do wouldn't work with a drawn out battle) hope you enjoy.

“Ohhhhhhhh this is so cool, Yukiko!!”

Chie’s eyes sparkled in delight as she took in the wonderful sight that laid before her. A dojo with the walls lined with crimson, gold, and supporting beams adorning a dragon flying upward, breathing fire. Despite the flashy colors, the mat, windows, door, and architecture resembled a traditional Japanese dojo.

“Heh, yeah, home sweet home,” Shojira said, removing his shoes at the door.

“You live here? Oh man, I’d love to live in a place like this!” Chie giggled, overcome with giddiness.

Yukiko, looking around, made a “Hmm” sound. “It did look small from the outside, though.”

The girls removed their shoes as well and followed Shojira outside of the main room into a hallway, carrying bags filled with their new clothes from earlier. Chie stalled as much as she could however, inspecting every nook and cranny of the training area.

Shojira led Chie and Yukiko to a bedroom door. The bedroom itself had a pair of spare beds, a table, a lamp, a drawer, and a closet.

“It’s the most basic of basics but I think it’ll do the job,” Shojira commented.

“Thank you, Shojira-san,” Chie and Yukiko said, bowing respectfully.

“Thank Sensei, he’s the one who had the final say. Though not like he’s the type to turn people away.” Shojira stretched his back and grunted. “There’s hangers in the closet if you need them.”

The sound of footsteps could be heard as a tigress, with the same green eyes and jet-black hair as Shojira, peeked her head past the door frame.

“You didn’t tell me you were bringing two girlfriends, Shoji,” the tigress giggled, her voice light and playful.

“Lei-Mei, they’re not my…never mind. Chie, Yukiko, this is my sister, Lei-Mei,” Shojira gestured.

Lei-Mei stepped into the room, clad in pink pajamas, with a big grin on her face. Her hair looked remarkably like Yukiko’s.

“Hi hi! Nice to meetcha!” Lei-Mei beamed.

The girls all shook hands and Lei-Mei stepped towards her brother.

“So I’m going to take a wild guess and sayyyyyyy YOU’RE the one excited to meet Sensei!” Lei-Mei exclaimed with an emphatic point towards Chie. Chie could only grin sheepishly.

“Sensei would be happy to teach you. All you have to do is ask when he’s available,” Shojira said.

“Yeah, he went home just a little bit before you got here. He just said ‘Don’t drink all of the blue juice. That’s mine,’” Lei-Mei snickered.

“You two stay here by yourselves?” Yukiko asked.

“Yeah. All we need to do is help keep the place clean. It’s a pretty nice deal for us,” Shojira said. He walked back to the hallway, looking back at Chie and Yukiko. “I’ll show you the bathroom and kitchen.”

“You can go ahead, Yukiko. I want to lay down for a bit and test the bed,” Chie yawned.

Shojira and Yukiko headed off and Chie fell onto a spare bed, face first into the pillow. She gave a very content sigh as she rubbed her face into the softness. Chie realized Lei-Mei was still there, who laughed again.

 

“You’re funny, Chie.”

Chie’s cheeks burned, pouting. “Hey, I haven’t relaxed for a couple hours…so do you know what’s going on?”

Lei-Mei sat on the other bed. “Just enough. So, you’re really from another world?”

Chie turned onto her back and stared up at the white ceiling. “Not really a different world. I mean, I don’t feel like I’m on some alien planet. It feels just enough like where I’m from.”

“Some of it is familiar, you mean?”

Chie turned her head towards Lei-Mei. “The main difference being…well…okay, there’s a few but the biggest one being that there aren’t any tigers like you there. Tigers who can walk, talk, and do things that humans can. Or any other animals, really…”

“Oh. Yeah. But you look adjusted already.”

Chie smiled. “Yeah, once you enter a TV world, fight monsters with Personas, save the world, and have a friend who wears a bear suit, not too much catches you off guard. There’s still some things.”

Lei-Mei ran her fingers through her hair, looking away. “I don’t look scary, right?”

Chie shook her head. “No, you look cute! I love how fluffy your fur looks and your ears!”

“J-Jeez, I just asked if I looked scary to you, not to pick my best feature,” Lei-Mei stammered, tucking her chin in and rubbing her shoulder. “So…you really do like martial arts?”

Chie beamed. “Yeah. I bet you could’ve heard me when I came in, huh?”

“Do you have any martial-arts experience, Chie? Trained under anybody?”

“Actually, I’m self-taught. But I know my skills would be more honed if I had a true teacher,” Chie said, looking at her hands.

“Hmm…I see,” Lei-Mei muttered.

“Is it something I said?”

“Oh. No. You’re fine. It’s just that the dojo’s been having an influx of hopefuls who are only here for one thing and then they drop out immediately when they can’t get their way.”

“What do you mean?”

“You met Bailey, right?”

It took a moment for Chie to remember the badger but she nodded. “Right, she’s a pro wrestler, isn’t she?” That’s when Chie realized. “Oh. Yeah, I get it now.”

She folded her arms and sighed. “I don’t get why some people think wasting the time of others gets them anywhere. But when I’m fired up, I’m dedicated to what I do, Lei-Mei. I’m training to become a police officer, actually.”

Lei-Mei tilted her head. “A police officer? You look like you could make it as a stunt double, honestly.”

“I could. But ever since the adventures I’ve had with my friends, I’ve sworn to put my skills to good use,” Chie said with a smile.

“At least that’s one way to apply your martial arts.” Lei-Mei paused and giggled. “So what movie?”

“Huh?”

“What movie did you take your moves from?”

“Oh! M-My personal favorite…Trial of the Dragon…” Chie twiddled her fingers sheepishly.

“Wait. Trial of the Dragon? You…you can’t be talking about…” Lei-Mei hurried outside of the bedroom for a moment, returning with a DVD in her hands. The cover depicted a dragon logo with a man in a purple outfit in the middle of a flying kick.

“THAT’S IT!! THAT’S TRIAL OF THE DRAGON!!” Chie exclaimed, almost leaping off the bed from her lying position.

“No way! All right…in the final fight scene, Souji hits the bad guy with a one two combination…” Lei-Mei started.

“Which goes into 3 kicks to the chest…” continued Chie.

“Then he gets pushed back by the leg…”

“And then when the bad guy leaps right at him…”

Both were practically in each other’s faces before exclaiming. “FLIGHT OF THE DRAGON TECHNIQUE TO THE FACE!!!”

Both girls squealed.

“Trial of the Dragon is so great, it transcends worlds! I need to tell Yukiko!” Chie giggled.

“Actually. Speaking of Yukiko, shouldn’t they be done with the ‘tour’ by now?”

 

Upon this realization, Chie and Lei-Mei left the bedroom and looked around. There were sounds coming from the door at the end of the hallway. Lei-Mei led Chie to it and opened the door to the kitchen, where Yukiko was busy pulling different ingredients and spices from the cabinets and refrigerator to add to a pot on the stove. Shojira appeared powerless to stop her.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Lei-Mei jostled her brother, whose mouth was agape.

“S-S-S-She summoned some…golden woman…” Shojira shivered.

Chie cocked her head until it dawned on her, Chie’s eyes widening. “Wait, you summoned Sumeo-Okami? IN HERE?! WHY?!”

Yukiko turned to Chie, her expression confused. “To start the stove? It wasn’t turning on.”

“A-Am I still alive…?” Shojira could barely speak. Nobody seemed to have heard him either.

A foul stench arose from the pot, making Lei-Mei and Chie cough and gag. Holding their noses, eyes watering, they tried to peek at what’s inside.

It was simply unfathomable as to how Yukiko managed to concoct such a brew. It was dark purple, bubbling at the surface, terrors lurking underneath.

“Y-Yukiko, what in the world are you…making?” Chie forced out, the smell filling her lungs.

“I found these packaged ramen noodles but thought they needed something extra,” Yukiko replied.

“’Extra?’ What, did you toss in a gas bomb?” Lei-Mei grumbled.

“Well, I thought plain water with the spices in a packet wouldn’t make for a good broth. I tried pouring in this liquid I found in the refrigerator,” Yukiko said.

“But I thought your cooking was improving. What did you add?” Chie picked up a bottle on the counter. “The heck is ‘Miracle Elixir?’”

“I-It belongs to Sensei, don’t mess with that!” Shojira recovered from his shock, taking the bottle from Chie. After a hard look at it, Shojira squinted at the liquid. “Wait a minute, this isn’t-”

A crackling laugh filled the kitchen, echoing within the room.

“What the hell is this…?” Shojira said to himself.

“Fools! That wasn’t poison! Now that you’ve taken in the aroma of the true essence of that elixir, your minds are now mine to control! Now! Submit your free will to meeeeee!”

Everyone braced themselves for a dangerous enemy, but nobody felt anything nor were their actions now being manipulated. They glanced at one another, waiting for an attack.

The voice rang in again. “AHAHAHA! It works! Now I have you all right where I want you! HYAAAAH!”

In a puff of smoke appeared a crimson-skinned creature, like a goblin, wearing only a tattered brown loincloth. He raised a filthy finger to the group.

“You are all helpless before me, your new master! Soon, this world will be-“

“Haraedo-no-Okami!”

“Sumeo-Okami!”

A blue light enveloped the kitchen, with two tarot cards appearing in front of Chie and Yukiko. The two broke the cards and their respective Personas appeared behind them. Shojira and Lei-Mei stared on in awe, while the creature immediately cowered before them.

“NOOO! PLEASE! SHOW MERCY!”

A malevolent grin appeared on Yukiko’s face as she looked towards Chie.

“You know what to do.”

Chie stretched her legs while Haraedo-no-Okami started powering her up. The creature attempted to run away but Chie was too fast for it, delivering an earth-shaking kick landing square on the chin. The creature propelled off Chie’s foot, crashing through the wall behind it, and disappearing into the sky.

Chie took a slow breath, while Yukiko turned to Shojira and Lei-Mei, her Persona still visible.

“We’re sorry about the hole in the wall, we’ll fix it as soon as possible,” she assured them.

The two tigers were still gobsmacked at what they witnessed. Until Lei-Mei suddenly cheered loudly, running around the kitchen and jumping up and down.

“THAT WAS SO SICK! SO SICK! GIRL, YOU JUST DESTROYED THAT CREEP LIKE HE WAS NOTHING! CHIE! CHIE! CHIE! CHIE!”

The chanting made Chie flushed from the praise. Yukiko couldn’t help herself but break out into one of her infamous laughing fits, clutching her side while Lei-Mei was still yelling at the top of her lungs. Shojira was back at square one, trying to comprehend everything he just saw.

 

After the commotion died down and Yukiko disposed of the Mystery Soup X, (Chie nicknamed it while impersonating Yosuke) everyone composed themselves, with Chie repeatedly apologizing for leaving a hole in the wall.

“Having my Persona makes me a lot stronger than I am in my world. I could never kick anyone that hard, heheh…”

Yukiko placed her hand under her chin. “Still, what in the world was a little monster doing here?”

“I’d sure like to know why he was hanging around too.” Shojira folded his arms. “He seemed pretty sure that he had us under mind control.”

“I doubt he could even solve basic math, let alone control minds,” Lei-Mei said with an eye roll.

“Are weird creatures like that normal here?” Chie asked.

Shojira and Lei-Mei looked at each other and shrugged. They explained that while there are otherworldly creatures that pop up from time to time, they weren’t exactly part of everyday life. It was also their first time seeing anything resembling the goblin-like creature.

“If there’s monsters running around, I think that’s partly where we come in. I betcha any more bad guys will be bigger and meaner. Smarter, I dunno,” Chie snickered.

“And if there were any more, they would have shown up by now.” Yukiko added.

“Chances are that we’re going to find out sooner rather than later. We should keep an eye out for any more, though, just in case,” Lei-Mei said. “And if anything happens in the middle of the night, my room is right next to yours.”

Shojira looked at the clock on the kitchen wall. “Speaking of which, the night’s still kinda young. You wanna relax for a bit? Maybe watch some movies?”

Lei-Mei sighed. “You don’t know if they want to watch your superhero stuff, Shoji.”

“I have more than just superhero movies. I just happen to have a big collection of one.”

“Kyoto Nightcrawler, yeah yeah,” Lei-Mei said, rolling her eyes.

“Oooh, that sounds cool!” Chie grinned. Her enthusiasm instantly infected Shojira as he led her off to his room.

Lei-Mei sighed but shared a smile with Yukiko, the two following suit.


End file.
